Someone finally hacked the PlayStation Portal, and it runs PSP games
Feb. 20, 2024Portable games on the Portal
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In case you’re out of the loop, thePlayStation Portalis designed to hook up to your PS5 using Remote Play. That very fact prevents it from taking on most of thebest gaming handheldcontenders out there right now, as it can’t run games natively using its own hardware. At least, it won’t be able to out of the box, but as the community has now proven, the portable is at least capable of emulating classics from 19 years ago.
In a photo toTwitterbyGoogleengineer Andy Nguyen, the PlayStation Portal is shown running Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories. According to the enthusiasts, the GTA spinoff uses the PSP emulator PPSSPP natively to make it happen, something that isn’t possible using the stock handheld.
While we’ve only got static evidence of the PlayStation Portal hack for now, Nguyen says videos of the project are on the way. That will hopefully provide some insight into the process behind running anything using the Portal’s actual hardware, as well as whether performance is actually good enough to be useful. After all, the Qualcomm SG4150P inside the handheld isn’t designed to handle proper full on gaming experiences, which makes sense given that we’re talking about a “remote player” rather than a PlayStation Vita 2.
In any case, it was only a matter of time before someone cracked the PlayStation Portal, and it sort of feels like a birth right for Sony consoles. It’s early days yet, but we’ll no doubt see some interesting projects out in the wild as the hardware matures.
As a side note, if you’ve yet to get your hands on Sony’s cloud handheld, you’ll want to check out ourPlayStation Portal stockpage for regular updates.
Already gotValve’s portable? Check out thebest Steam Deck dockand turn your handheld into a hybrid. Alternatively, take a peek at thebest gaming laptopsand use a full rig instead. We’ve also got you covered with thebest PS5 controllersif you’d rather stick to Sony flavored hardware.
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I’ve been messing around with PCs, video game consoles, and tech since before I could speak. Don’t get me wrong, I kickstarted my relationship with technology by jamming a Hot Wheels double-decker bus into my parent’s VCR, but we all have to start somewhere. I even somehow managed to become a walking, talking buyer’s guide at my teenage supermarket job, which helped me accept my career fate. So, rather than try to realise my musician dreams, or see out my University degree, I started running my own retro pop culture site and writing about video games and tech for the likes of TechRadar, The Daily Star, and the BBC before eventually ending up with a job covering graphics card shenanigans at PCGamesN. Now, I’m your friendly neighbourhood Hardware Editor at GamesRadar, and it’s my job to make sure you can kick butt in all your favourite games using the best gaming hardware, whether you’re a sucker for handhelds like the Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch or a hardcore gaming PC enthusiast.
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